


how good it is to know you are like me

by dabblingDilettante



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Friendship, Gen, Marriage, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:47:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23767159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dabblingDilettante/pseuds/dabblingDilettante
Summary: The only thing left Aerith could ask for is Cloud to speak at her wedding.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough & Cloud Strife, Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Comments: 5
Kudos: 98





	how good it is to know you are like me

**Author's Note:**

> man i'm just. gay. i dont know what to say to you bro. Bro. bro. this is weird canon divergence because everyone's just alive because i don't feel like Messing Around right now. aerti marriage? aerith cloud friendship with the fallout of his trauma and trying to figure out how to celebrate their affection for each other? yeah. yeah. its a throwaway line here but i've also been thinking about barret/biggs lately. consider it.
> 
> it's embarrassing that i keep writing ff7 oneshots instead of finishing a fic for another fandom ive been on for months, but you know. what can you do when you're sick and lacking focus. i know. write a gay fic about how much you love frembs. The utter self-indulgence.

“Are you sure it’s not a little cruel,” Tifa asked, kneading her hands together. For all the time they'd been engaged, it was a question Aerith knew both of them had been avoiding. For good enough reason - but at this point, Aerith couldn't put it off any longer. It was too important to avoid.

“Of course not!” Aerith said. She gave her fiancé a bright and assured smile. “He’ll love it. If there’s anything that Cloud likes, it would be you, me, and Barret, and we’re two-thirds of the affair! He could never say no.”

Thus, Aerith convinced Cloud to allow her to treat him to lunch.

“I’m not going to be your best man,” Cloud said. “Or your maid of honor. Get someone else.”

“But Cloud,” Aerith whined. “You’re the reason we met! We can’t have the affair without you.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t go.” Cloud pulled his arms in closer to himself under the outdoor umbrella. Cafes weren’t his strong suit, which was exactly why Aerith had chosen her favorite to drag him to for the sake of The Plan. “But I won’t give a speech. Or stand in front of a crowd.”

“It’s not like it’s going to be a big crowd,” Aerith explained between bites of her orange-bourbon crepes.

“Yeah, just you, me, Tifa, Barret, Red, the sector 5 orphanage, every member of the slums, Yuffie’s entire clan, and. I don’t know.” Cloud rolled his eyes, leaning his cheek into poised knuckles. “You tell me. Who else am I forgetting.”

“Well, I was still thinking about the ghosts from the train graveyard! But they’re so bad at responding to my RSVPs.” Aerith smiled at the chuckle that got out of Cloud. “I know I might go overboard, but it’s important to both of us, Cloud.”

“Then why not ask Barret. And I’m being serious. He’d love to give a speech about you two. He’ll give you a dozen. And they’d be better than what I can give.”

Aerith pushed the apple pie that Cloud had reluctantly ordered toward him. “Because he already agreed. He’s going to be Tifa’s best man. I was asking you to be mine.” For how confident Aerith had been walking in, her smile wilted with her nervousness. “My Cloud of honor or whatever you’d like to call it. I don’t care! I don’t need you to plan, I just want you to be there beside me. I want all my favorite people beside me.”

Cloud finally smiled back at her, giving her too much relief for the disappointment of his next words. “I will be there, Aerith. In the front row, even. Just. Not up there.”

–

“I did warn you,” Tifa said, massaging Aerith’s shoulders. “It’s not like he’s rejecting us, anyway. Cloud has enough to worry about with his health without us asking even more of him.”

“But I’m not really asking much,” Aerith muttered.

Despite her complaints, she understood all too well. Even with treatment after Cloud had finally chosen to go in, his emotional and physical health were still troubled. The mako had finally begun making more impact on his body. There were ways to cope with it and extend his life beyond ShinRa’s cruel expectancies, but it was difficult. Difficult to maintain, even with his closest friends checking in and supporting where Cloud allowed them. They all had to deal with uncomfortable aftermaths in their lives, but while Aerith knew both she and Tifa had their own emotional struggles, it didn’t seem quite fair for Cloud. Not only had he been forced to survive experiments and abuse, but now he had to live with an aftermath that would never quite leave him.

Though Tifa did not respond, she did pinch Aerith, pushing her to speak her mind. “I know it’s selfish, but I wanted to … hear what he’d say, you know? About you and me and us and … all of us still being here. He doesn’t talk about it, but. It’s important to me. I thought it would be nice if on the same day we’re showing off how great we are to the world, if I could give Cloud the chance to talk and show him that it mattered! That.” She stopped

Aerith sunk down into the chair until Tifa wrapped her arms around her. “I know. That he’s important to us, too.” She leaned around and smiled down at Aerith before giving her a kiss in the small cleft of her chin. “I’m sure Barret will have plenty to say for the both of us. If you weren’t so gungho about this, he’d have taken over on the catering!”

“Hey, weddings are perfect for a florist,” Aerith said, taking advantage of Tifa’s closeness to kiss her. “I’ve trained all my life for this.”

“You didn’t strike me as the type to be excited for weddings, you know,” Tifa murmured as she leaned her forehead against Aerith’s.

“Oh, not at all! But I couldn’t stand letting someone else set up my wedding,” Aerith laughed. “What’s the point of doing this for so long if I don’t arrange my own wedding? And I mean, if I’m already doing that, I may as well pick up everything else.” She pulled Tifa into her lap, pressing her cheek against her chest. “I never really thought I’d have a wedding. If I’m being honest.”

Tifa’s arms looped around Aerith to pull her closer. “I know.” Her head leaned against the top of Aerith’s. “…I understand.” For a time, the two held each other, quiet. Tifa went on. “When I was very young. Before my mother died. Sometimes I thought about getting married when I was older. My mom and dad seemed so happy, and that was what all the women in Nibelheim did.” When she laughed, it was hollow. “But when my mom died, I couldn’t stand the thought any longer. Growing up to get married. Have children and die.” Aerith held her tight, burying her face against Tifa. Sometimes, that was all they could do for each other. “I think I would have been happy without getting married, as long as I was with you.”

Aerith’s voice was muffled against Tifa’s skin. “What changed your mind?”

“Barret,” Tifa laughed. “And you. …and Cloud, actually. If I’m still really being honest, I understand why he doesn’t want to. But I wanted a celebration. A reason to be celebrate, after everything we’ve been through. I thought it would be nice to make a declaration to the world about the fact that we’re still alive, and we plan to spend our lives together.”

“Tifa!” Aerith wailed. She squeezed Tifa till she squeaked, rocking in the large chair. “You’re so romantic!”

“No, I just.” She laughed, awkward, and nudged Aerith’s head with her nose. “Aerith, I’m just being honest.”

“Well I like Miss Honest.” Aerith nuzzled her nose against Tifa’s. “Soon to be Mrs. Honest.”

“I’m glad you’re alive, Aerith.” 

Aerith’s heart felt as though it leapt into her throat. “Me too.”

–

Maybe that was the way.

“You do know this is suspicious,” Cloud muttered, sitting across from her yet again. This time, he had ordered a strawberry cake, drizzled with chocolate. It was beautiful, but Aerith would have preferred if he bothered to eat it.

“Is there really anything wrong for a girl to take her best friend out to eat with her?”

“If it’s you?” Cloud’s eyes widened in some surprise. “Is that a question you really want me to answer.”

Aerith sighed and cut to the chase. “I won’t ask you again. I just want you to come o the wedding.” She slid an envelope across the table. “I’m sorry I gave you so much trouble about it.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” Cloud picked up the letter and flicked it open, a genuine smile gracing his lips at the sight of it. “Barret finally got to you, huh.”

“He just wouldn’t give up on helping me with _something,_ so I told him he could help me with the invites, and he got Marlene to help with it too!”

Cloud raised an eyebrow. “What else did he convince you to let him help you with.”

“Only the catering, because he has a few friends,” Aerith said, beginning to count off her fingers. “And the DJ. And the music, and the alcohol selection, and the location, and the reception, and …” She threw a hand in the air. “You get the picture.”

For all the gloom, Cloud still laughed at that, open and free. It was nice to see – better than the half-hearted chuckles he used to stick himself to. Not like Zack or anyone else she’d known – just him.

–

“Where is everyone?” was the first thing Cloud asked.

Aerith laughed. The four of them stood together at the long dirt road, having driven out together to the coast. “This is everyone.”

Cloud blanched. “But you were going to have a big wedding.”

She gave a shrug. “I’m not the kind of girl who could be satisfied with just one, y’know?”

Tifa straightened Aerith’s tie, pulling at the sleeves of her suit. “No one said we were going to have one ceremony.” She looked back at Cloud and spun around in her dress, white off-set by blue and black and red. Aerith loved it because it was terrible and so very fitting for Tifa. “What do you think?”

“Uh,” was about all that made it out of his mouth, awkward as ever. Barret took his opportunity to clap him on the back with a raucous laugh.

“We know you weren’t keen on the crowd, so we got a whole place set up here. Bit easier without all the folks starin’ you down.” Barret lifted a box from the car onto his shoulder. “See, you’re lucky Tifa asked me to, otherwise I woulda brought Biggs along too. But she made it clear this was gonna be an OG-crew thing, so if you got anythin’ to say for Tifa and Aerith, you’ll have plenty of space to do it.”

Cloud sputtered through his response. “What – I’m not – Why?”

“Because I’m glad you’re not dead,” Aerith said. “We never celebrated. The four of us making it through.” The wind blew through her hair in the mid-setting sun. Tifa's hair reflected the light, with Aerith's own turning something along the lines of gold, in her mind. It was a romantic image. The right image for all of them coming this far. "I won't ask you to give a practiced speech in front of a hundred or more people."

"What do you mean _or more,_ " Tifa whispered, but Aerith and Barret cheerfully waved their hands at her.

"Don't worry about that," Aerith said. "The point is, Cloud, I just wanted to share this moment with you. Tifa and me, we've got our vows set up, and Barret has stuff he wants to say, and ... I thought it wouldn't be complete if I couldn't give you the chance, too. We've not talked about things much since the problems settled down. As much as the wedding is for me and Tifa, I wanted this set up so we could have something beforehand. For all the stuff too embarrassing to let the masses know."

"I don't really." Cloud stopped talking, glancing to Tifa as if seeking help. When she gave him a smile and shake of her head, he sighed. "I don't know if I can pull together anything to say."

"Then listen!" Aerith said. "Listen, and if you have anything to add, or anything that helps you, say it! This is for us. Let's give ourselves a break."

"Also, Cloud," Tifa stepped in. "I want you two to hear all our vows before anyone else. You and Barret." When she stepped forward, Cloud allowed her to take his hand. "We're a family. Just do what feels natural, and the rest of us will fill in the rest."

"I can guarantee I'll fill whatever airtime you don't, so don't sweat it," Barret laughed. " 'Sides, we couldn't have fun without you to roll your eyes at our gushin'."

If Aerith could have anything, it would be a life that was fun. Surprising. Something that kept her guessing, one that didn't feel arranged for her, one that didn't intend for her to live out all her joy in a few measly years. If Aerith could have anything, it would be the sight of her wife laughing, carried upon Barret's shoulder as if to give her away. Even though none of them really had fathers, now, or family outside each other. It would be Cloud shaking his head as if the smile on his face didn't hurt, the sign of all that was good to come all but obvious. It would be a reality where she got to see all of them.

So she didn't want for much.


End file.
